To Spend a Day
by Chihori Anigma
Summary: Rowena sees Salazar one last time.


"Rowena?"

"Salazar! I hoped I might find you here."

"What are you doing so far from Hogwarts? I thought our correspondence was to be only through the letters we send our owls with."

"Salazar, Helena has run from me and disappeared. And I, I am growing old. I know I will not live much longer. I wanted to see you one last time before I died."

"Rowena, what are you saying? You are young! It is true you are old for a regular mortal, but you are a witch-how can you speak of death and dying when you still have so much life before you?"

"Salazar, there are things only one can know. I know I will die soon and I have only three final wishes. To see you, to see Helena and for Hogwarts-the school we built together, Salazar-to continue to grow and teach."

Salazar turned away.

"Let us not speak of who built Hogwarts. It was clear when I left that nobody wanted me there. And though you and Helga may have forgiven me I know Gryffindor has not."

"Fine, Salazar, we will not speak of such things. But where do you live now? Will you show me that?"

"I do not live anywhere, Rowena. I travel the world and come back to Ireland rarely. When I do come I stay in a monastery next to a church with stained glass windows. I told them I travel to repent my sins. But I did not sin, Rowena. You know that."

This time it was Rowena who turned away.

"Why should we stay so long in this grove? It is dark in here. Let us go out into the sun."

"And romp around as the peasant children do?" But Salazar followed his friend out of the shadow of the trees into the sunlight and sat down beside her on the green grass.

"Rowena, I have truly missed you."

"And I you."

"What have you been doing while I was travelling the world?"

"I thought you did not want to hear any news of Hogwarts?"

"Tell me, Rowena."

"I was teaching. We have hired more teachers as so many children are coming to learn at Hogwarts from all over Britannia. Helga has brought some of those creatures called house-elves to work for us. But I have told you all this in my letters."

"You have not mentioned Acwen, your husband."

"Acwen died from sickness a few years ago."

"You did not love him."

"No. It was a marriage of convenience like many marriages. I thought you believed in such things, Salazar."

"I do. But maybe I have changed my mind about marriages of convenience."

"You would not have a wizard or a witch marry a regular mortal, surely!"

"No. Only Helga could think of such a thing. But a witch or wizard marrying another witch or wizard, one who they love, does not seem to be so bad in my eyes."

"What are you talking of, Salazar?"

"Nothing. Would you like to walk around, see how my country looks in summer? You have never seen Ireland in the summer, I think."

Rowena smiled. "Do you love someone? A beautiful witch you met on your travels perhaps?"

"I met her long before I started my travels, Rowena."

"It cannot be me you are talking of."

"It is."

Rowena stayed silent for a long while.

"Salazar, I love you, also. I have always loved you and when you left I realized I loved more than a love that is between friends. But, Salazar, I will not live much longer and before I die I must return to Hogwarts. We have only this day to spend together."

"You will not stay longer than a day?"

"I cannot. We have this day to spend, though."

"You, Rowena, were the most intelligent of the four of us. Even me. If I try to make you stay longer with tricks and traps you will see through them. And though I love you if you stayed with me unwillingly I would be unhappy. So, yes, I will spend this day with you and I will not keep you longer."

They stood up and Salazar led Rowena around the countryside, Apparating to the places he liked best or the ones where it was said great magical things had happened in days gone by. Often they were one and the same. Rowena followed him, marveling at the historical places she had always wanted to see and enjoying the beautiful places she had never heard of but that Salazar loved for his own reasons.

At last they Apparated back to where Rowena had found Salazar. It had been raining and the sunlight sparkled off of the drops clinging to the leaves and grass. As Rowena and Salazar said goodbye for the last time a rainbow appeared in the sky, slowly growing stronger, as if to wish them the happy ending that they would never get.

 **Challenges: Journey Through Hogwarts, The Lolita Challenge, Fanfiction World Adventures Competition**

 **Prompts: A fluffy, romantic one-shot between 750-1000 words, write about something from a long time ago, green, glass, rainbow**


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